It’s the end of another year. Can you believe it? There have been some fun/special videos that have kept me entertained and informed this year. I’ve put them all together in my annual memorable videos blog post. So sit back and enjoy! And if you have others to share, even if they are not from 2013, please do. We can all use a good laugh! Happy New Year! All the best in 2014 from Long Legs Productions!

It’s is coming up on the most wonderful time of the year, season premiere season. Gee, I feel like I’ve said that before. But, it truly is. All the excitement of the fresh new shows. The return of your old favourites and maybe some new ones you’ve picked up in the off season.

You wonder which shows to include in your viewing schedule? Which ones you should by-pass? And which ones you will leave until the off season or until recommendations from your other friends who are just addicted to TV as you?

We can’t watch them all and we definitely can’t PVR (DVR) them all. So what to do? Well, I’ve put together my choices for new shows that I’ll be giving a chance, at least at the beginning, this season. Would love to know what yours are.

This TV season looks like the theme is the return of favourite actors from days gone by. From Robin Williams to Michael J. Fox to Allison Janney and more. With great credentials like these actors have and memories of how they made me laugh before, I will give their shows a chance.

The new show Mom with Allison Janney, who I love in comedic roles, and the hilarious Anna Faris is definitely on my list. Really looking forward to this one based on the previews and the cast.

What are you all thinking of this new James Caan comedy, Back in the Game? Are you going to give it a try? I like him and the kids look like they’ll be funny. The cast looks like it’s got some funny characters. I’ll give it a whirl, at least the first week or two.

I’m not 100% sure about this choice, but as a lover of the sarcasm of James Spader from his Boston Legal days (one of the best shows), I’m considering this show, The Black List, on a very trial basis.

So I ask this again, what are you thinking about watching this season? Would love to know and as the season begins tell me how you are feeling about the shows you’re watching and tell me what I might be missing out on.

The word ‘viral’ is derived from ‘virus’ and medically we know a virus is passed from person to person just like we share funny and interesting videos from person to person. Medical ‘virus’ rarely die and they continue to be shared and can come back to the same person or close to that person who once had it. Just the same way that a viral video can come back. You know the ones that you saw months or years ago that are making the rounds again.

I find this idea very interesting, not that they are coming back per say, but where have they been and what or how are they coming back into your world. In the moment when a video first goes ‘viral’ we assume that everyone you know sees it because you post it on your Facebook or Twitter or other social media. If it was in my feed, why didn’t all my friends see it and think it was interesting, funny or touching when I did? Where were they that day or week? Living under a rock, sick, on vacation? Maybe they just didn’t think it was memorable or worth clicking on at the time.

This is intriguing to me and it was brought to my attention over the past few weeks when some of the following videos started popping up again by friends and contacts, as if they were seeing them for the first time. I remember posting them, along with many others, months or even years ago. How did these videos with such great popularity miss some of these people? How did they become popular again? Have they just been making their way around the world and are now making a return visit? All very interesting questions, I think.

Tell me, when did you see these videos for the first time?

This video was first posted on YouTube on Feb. 14, 2011. I remember it being hugely popular at the time. It was on every news show and was probably the most popular video of that day, possibly week or even month or longer. But a few weeks ago, a friend posted it for the first time for her and many people liked and/or commented on the video. Where did the video go and how did it come back?

Then there’s this Michael Bublé video in which a mom gets Michael to bring her son up on stage. It’s from Dec 14, 2010, but in the passed month it has been showing up in my Facebook feed by many different people, who don’t know each other. When I first saw it pop up, I thought ‘oh Michael has done it again’. Then I watched the video and realized that I had seen it years ago. What made this video resurface? Is it because Michael is in the news again with a new album or that he’s hosting the Junos this year or what? Maybe some one was searching him and came across this feel good video and felt that we all needed to experience something good and nice? I don’t know. Do you?

And then there is this video, which I seemed to have been living deep under a rock when it was popular back in, I assume, Dec. 2010 when it was uploaded to YouTube. How did I miss something so hilarious? Or did I see it at the time and maybe the memory isn’t what it use to be and I’ve forgotten it. I really don’t know, as this one has definitely made its impression on me.

The idea of a viral video really doesn’t just pertain to its immediate growth, but its ability to hide away after its initial popularity and to find life again at the most interesting times and by people you assumed saw it the first time.

So, you never know when your video might find life and become viral. It could be right away and then never again, or immediately and again years later or it will just find its stride long after it’s initially uploaded.

2012 has been another great year of viral videos. I’ve put together a blog of some of my favourites of this year (and maybe one or two from a few years ago). Grab a drink and sit back and enjoy. Please share your favourites with us!

And a favourite from 2010, but I only just saw it for the first time in 2012.

Last week some of us saw the following teaser for what we could have hoped was going to be a “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” sequel.

But we all knew in our hearts that it wouldn’t happen. And really didn’t want a great memory like that to be ruined with a full feature sequel. Then Monday rolls around and we got a special treat, even if it is a commercial for Honda. Ferris Bueller playing games again. This time to get out of work.

Smart move by Honda though. Spot on concept, as the demographic that enjoyed this movie back in the 80s, is just that who’s driving the Honda CR-V now.

If you haven’t seen it, enjoy!

Did you see all the references to the original movie? No? Check them out here. Were any others missed?

Now if this movie were ever to be remade, as so many movies are these days, it would definitely be a lot shorter with all the modern technology. Just imagine with all the social media (FB, Foursquare, Twitter, etc) and GPS, Ferris would have been located in seconds. Imagine the scene, Principal calls mother to tell her that Ferris isn’t at school, mother checks Foursquare, FB and Twitter, minutes later Ferris is located and caught. Or even before all of this, sister Jeanie would have located him, tweeted, facebooked to rat him out.

Thank goodness we didn’t have any of that in the 80s, as this movie changed our lives. And thank you Honda for reminding us of such a great movie and getting the real Ferris to participate! SAVE FERRIS!

At this time of year it’s all about looking back on memories and events of 2011. It’s been quite a year for natural disasters and not so natural ones.

But, let’s have some fun as we look back on 2011. These are the videos that went viral, or not, that I remember or enjoyed for one reason or another. Without any comments from me, here they ALL are (there are a lot), so pick and choose. But, take time, enjoy or reflect on what 2011 was in the world of online video. Let me just say one last thing, there is a lot that you can learn and appreciate from these videos, especially the “Thumbs Up, Rock n’Roll Kid”. Happy New Year and all the best in 2012!

Last night my favourite chef/TV personality, Jamie Oliver, was in Toronto at Roy Thomson Hall and I went to see him with a few friends. It was truly enjoyable.

Even though we were at Roy Thomson Hall, which is quite big, it did feel fairly intimate. As Jamie said, he welcomed us into his “front room” to just hang out with him. His Front Room was made up of two small sofas, a table between and two napkins waiting for the Steamwhistle beers that Jamie and the host were drinking.

After a lengthy introduction by the host, whose name escapes me (as I wasn’t there to see her), Jamie joined her on stage. It’s an interesting situation, as the introduction even though important, is all information that I would imagine 95% of the people in the audience already knew. I wonder for someone like Jamie Oliver, as he’s standing in the wings listening to all that, does he just want to cut to the chase and get out there to talk with his fans.

Jamie said that only when he’s in Canada does he do these intimate chats. He was thanking us for how good all us Canadians have been to him over the past 15 years. I know I have loved him since his Naked Chef days. And now I love him for all the work he is doing in the schools in the UK and with Food Revolution in the US. Wish we could convince him to come up here and do a short series. If you are reading this, Jamie, and are interested in a series in Canada just drop me a line. Would love to develop one with you.

Jamie shared some great stories with us. Being an informal night, the audience got to submit questions for Jamie to answer. Obviously, there were many and they could not get to all of them. But he did touch on some great points, like how he is one of the only chefs out there that will test his recipes 6 times within his team and in the public before it gets into one of his cookbooks. He rightly feels that he needs to ensure that when a recipe goes out into the world, it will work. No one wants to spend $40 on ingredients to make a meal to impress someone and it’s a flop. Jamie feels he would be letting people down if that happened.

The other answer that stuck with me was one about the increased use of food banks and how hard it is to afford good, fresh food. His response was one that not everyone would expect, but it was true to what he and many of us believe. He said that he has been in many lower income homes who claimed that it’s hard to afford fresh food. But, as he pointed out, in those houses there are TVs bigger than his, everyone has a mobile phone and possibly wearing fancy running shoes on their feet. It’s really about the choices that are made with the money, not that it’s unaffordable. Jamie’s other point was that for the $15 dollars you can spend on the KFC bucket meal, he and you could create a healthy chicken meal for a family for less and there would be leftovers.

There were many other great stories told during our hour “visit” with Jamie. Sadly it did have to end, but with one important last question. “Boxers or Briefs?” Jamie’s response initially was, “what about commando?” But, in the end it was whatever made his “bits” look good to his wife.

What a great evening. And to top it off, we all got a free copy of his new cook book, “Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes.” Great book with some great looking recipes.

Yes folks, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Time for new (non-reality) TV shows to start. I’m so glad that summer is behind us for that reason.

There is a great crop this year. Or that’s what I think. This season sees quite a few great female lead sitcoms, some interesting fantasy and of course crime and medical dramas. But, this is the season of female leads in all genres.

I’ve put together a summary of most of the upcoming shows. Instead of having to hit all the network sites, it’s all here in one place with a bit of my commentary. There is quite a few, so set aside some time to enjoy this. And for many of you, I know that you understand the importance of this most wonderful time of the year. Also, please comment with any shows and previews I might have missed and what shows you are looking forward to. Enjoy!

Comedies

2 Broke Girls – CBS/CityTV Monday Sept. 19 – 9:30pm
Did you love “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist” and Kat Dennings who played Norah? Her sarcasm was incredible. She’s the co-lead in her own sitcom now. Just one of the great new female lead sitcoms. Check out this preview. I think that you will like it. I’ve put it on my must see list.

How to be a Gentlemen– CBS/Global – Thurs. Sept. 29 – 8:30pm
Not really sold on this one yet. Quite a cast with Dave Foley and Kevin Dillion. But don’t really know the lead. Might give this one a try, but will have to see what options there are.

Free Agents – NBC/CTV – Wed. Sept. 14th at 10:30pmHank Azaria we haven’t seen on network TV in a while. This concept looks like it might be fun and it has a great supporting cast. To me it seems a little Crazy Stupid Love like, but the Ryan Gosling character is now a women who the lead is sleeping with. Where will it go? And just as an aside and a useless piece of trivia, the boss in this show did a love series through commercials for Taster’s Choice years ago.

Up All Night – NBC/CTV2 – Wed. Sept. 14th – 10pm
Impressive cast. Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph. I’m a big fan of the ladies in this show. They are great comedic actors. Will Arnett I haven’t really liked in anything since Arrested Development, but this potentially looks like a good fit for him. I think that this one is on the list.

Whitney – NBC/CTV – Thursday Sept. 22nd – 9:30pm
I don’t know the actors in this show, but I’m assuming that Whitney Cummings is a famous comedian. I do like what I see. Lots of sarcasm. Exactly my style. And another great female lead sitcom.

Last Man Standing – ABC/CityTV – Tuesday Oct. 11 – 8pmTim Allen is back. But this time he’s in a house full of women. A Man’s man trying to stay that way around all the women. Should be funny. Hilarity might ensue. We’ll see.

Man Up – ABC/CTV2 – Tuesday Oct. 18 – 8:30pm
Not sure about this one. I do like the female cast in this one. Don’t really know the men. You make the call.

Suburgatory – ABC/CityTV – Wednesday Sept. 28 – 8:30pm
Undecided about this one also. But I do like Cheryl Hines. She will add some good comedy to this one.

Allen Gregory – FOX/Global – Sunday Oct. 30 -8:30pm
I don’t normally like the various cartoons on FOX, but I do love Jonah Hill, so I will give this one about a pretentious 7 year old a try.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter – FOX/Global
Not sure where the funny is. Get back to me if you find it.

New Girl – FOX/CityTV – Tuesday Sept. 20 – 9pmZooey Deschanel. That’s all I need. She’s hilarious. They’ve been hyping this for a while. Hope that it’s worth the hype. It just might be.

Dramas

A Gifted Man – CBS/Global Friday Sept. 23 – 8pm
Had never heard of this show before I watched this preview, but by the end it seemed like a unique show that might have potential. Now it’s on Friday nights, so it will be tough for them. But, they might get those that commit on a Friday night to this, CSI: NY and Blue Bloods. A little medical drama before the cops take over.

Person of Interest – CBS/CityTV – Thursday Sept. 22 – 9pm
JJ Abrams is teaming up with our favourite bad guy from LOST, Michael Emerson. This one has a lot of potential and helps to fill holes that have been made by shows the loss of many shows like LOST.

The Playboy Club – NBC/CityTV – Monday Sept. 19 – 10pm
Mad Men meets…help me out here. Not sure what, but why not play off the popularity of the 60s era shows. We’ll see about this one also. Could be some interesting stories around the various Bunnies.

Prime Suspect – NBC/Global – Thursday Sept. 22 – 9pm
Woman detective in the all boys club of the NYPD. Fighting the battle to prove herself. Have we seen this before? Probably. Will be see it again? Probably. But the lead in this Maria Bello has a nice hard edge to her. And Aidan Quinn is great part of this cast with some other recognizable “cop” type actors.

Charlie’s Angels – ABC/CTV – Thursday Sept. 22 – 8pm
Being a big fan of the original series in the 70s/80s and also a fan of the movies, I’m just not sure I’ll be able to do this one. Drew Barrymore is the Exec. Prod. of the show, so it should be pretty good. And they’ve done a great job finding a fairly close match to John Forsythe for the voice of Charlie. But, really, it will be your call. And tell me about it. Plus it will be up against a lot of great Thursday night comedies for me.

Pan Am – ABC/CTV – Sunday Sept. 25 – 10pm
Remember when air travel was classy. Well most of us don’t, but this show will remind us of it. Pan Am seems like an interesting look at the ladies, “Stewardess’” and what they get up to. I imagine there will be some great period music and Mad Men type style. Will definitely be checking this one out.

Revenge – ABC/CityTV – Wednesday Sept. 21 – 10pm
I don’t get this one. But I’m intrigued. And I do like Emily Van Camp from Everwood and Brothers and Sisters fame. I need to understand what this Revenge is all about.

Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Grimm – NBC/CTV – Friday Oct. 21st – 9pm
Crime fighting Grimms. We all know that Fairy Tales are not the happy stories that some think they are. This show will change your view of them forever. Fairy Tale Crime Fighter with a bit of sarcasm. Might be worth it.

Once Upon a Time – ABC/CTV – Sunday Oct. 23 – 8pm
From some of the LOST creative team. Two worlds. One in the Fairy Tale world, one in the “real” world with the same characters. Interesting.

Terra Nova – FOX/CityTV – Monday Sept. 26 – 8pm
I know there are friends out there who are excited about this one. Looks like it would be a good movie (Jurassic Park), not a show. But who knows where they will go with it. If you watch it, Rica, please tell me about it.

That about sums it up for now. Like every year at this time, I’m pretty excited about some of the new shows this season. Plus, there are still lots of old favourites that will help to fill my viewing schedule. I’m sure that I’ve missed a bunch of shows. I would love if you would comment on this posting with the upcoming shows that you are interested it and a video clip so that we can all enjoy a preview. I know that “Ringers” is on the list for some of you out. Share your thoughts with all of us on what you are excited about.

So a few weeks ago I went out of town for the weekend to visit friends. I won’t name the city but it was a university town about 2 hours outside of the Toronto.

On the Saturday night we headed out to one of the hot spots downtown. We were sitting around having a few drinks, waiting for some good music to start and observing the crowd. As the crowd filled out we started to realize something. A lot of the guys were sporting Jersey Shore styles, not just the clothes but the body types and general look.

Now, I’ll admit, I do enjoy the Jersey Shore, but as entertainment, not as a true fashion style that has a place in southwestern Ontario. I guess I can understand that this is an Italian style in some areas. But this particular town is pretty far from being overly populated by Italians.

So what were all the Guidos, Juice Heads and Gorillas doing there? I can’t imagine that many of these guys would admit to looking like Pauly D, Vinnie or The Situation. But, they did and they seemed have taken on the attitude of these guys also. Now if a Snooki, J-Woww and Blast in a Glass had shown up, that would have been a laugh.

It is amazing that this show which most people don’t admit to watching is making such an impact on the fashions and styles of cities and towns around Canada and the US.

This is a great look to be entertained by, but does it really work for your average white guy? Don’t think so. However, thanks for giving us something to talk about and enjoy while we waiting for the buzz to hit

I’ve loved Dick Van Dyke for as long as I can remember. Watching reruns of The Dick Van Dyke show growing up and of course Mary Poppins plus Chitty Chitty Bang and numerous other guest spots, movies and specials.

Mary Poppins

The Dick Van Dyke Show

This book has Mr. Van Dyke reflecting back on his life and the people he met along the way. Plus the interesting characters he worked with and stories about his life and family outside of show business. Starting back in Danville, Illinois growing up with his brother Jerry, joining the Air Force and his foray into entertaining after some unsuccessful try’s at things like selling shoes.

Mr. Van Dyke has worked all over the US on stage, all different kinds of them, on the big screen and of course on the small screen. Plus years on radio and in clubs. He was lucky enough to find love with two wonderful women, not at the same time, but at the right times for both. Plus he had 4 lovely children and now multiple grand children and great children.

Most of us fans know a lot about what Dick Van Dyke starred in over the years, but it’s the memories that he shares with us and the stories of the people he met that truly make this book a treasure.

Mr Carl Reiner, a man who changed Dick Van Dyke’s life, does a lovely opening to the book. I guess that Mr. Van Dyke did the same for him years ago. They are both so appreciative of the role that each other played in the other’s life.

I won’t go on too much about this book, as I think you should read it. If you are a fan or just want to hear about what life was like as times changed over the years in show business, as told by a true super star, professional entertainer and all round great man, this is the book for you.